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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27863694">in another world</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/JamlessGenius/pseuds/JamlessGenius'>JamlessGenius</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Lost in Translation (Webcomic)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Alice in Wonderland Fusion, Angst, Gen, Guilt, Songfic, jjolee supremacy, the ceo is once again the absolute worst</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 23:53:35</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,883</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27863694</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/JamlessGenius/pseuds/JamlessGenius</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>It’s so familiar it hurts. <br/>It’s not the ears and sky that are too different in this world to change things, it’s that Jaewon isn’t Wyld.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>22</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>in another world</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Beta’d by the LOVELY i_was_human </p>
<p>Song is Painting Flowers by All Time Low</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Something in him is a man possessed. He’s reverent, staring up.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He’s lowly, cast down. </span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Ahn Jaewon feels many things towards the members of MAYHEM and in himself is something so dirty and human and free and it terrifies him. </span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">What is he, to them? He knows, from the bigger picture he will never let them see, that he is a tool. He loves them. And he’ll tear himself apart to create a support for them.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Jaewon is hanging on by a thread and he’s still ripping-</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Now he’s sitting here, holding his pain close to his chest, clinging to some sort of memory. </span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">What if it all just... stopped? He’s... exhausted, really. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <strong>
    <span class="s2">Strange maze, what is this place?</span>
  </strong>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He doesn’t wake up in his bed. He wakes up in a field of pink and purple grasses, under a green sky. He gapes, watching the world in its odd colors. </span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">There’s someone laughing, in the distance. Jaewon bites back his fear and rises. He isn’t sure if he is more afraid of being alone in a weird place or being far less alone than he had assumed. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <strong>
    <span class="s2">(I hear voices over my shoulder)</span>
  </strong>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oh,” a familiar voice- an achingly familiar voice chirps. “Hello! I’m Minsoo!”</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">It is Minsoo. But not really. Poking out of his silver hair is a long floppy pair of ears and Jaewon thinks that Lee Minsoo would rather break his computer than wear the blue suit and hold that big pocket watch.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He looks a little like an anime character, nose slightly pinker at the tip and eyes a brilliant blood red. </span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I’m Jaewon,” he greets. It’s a second introduction. He doesn’t know what he feels about that.</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <strong>
    <span class="s2">Nothing's making sense at all</span>
  </strong>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I’m late!” rabbit-Minsoo groans. Jaewon leaps to his feet, almost by instinct. </span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Ah! I’ll come with you!”</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Why?” Minsoo blinks at him, rabbit ears twitching. “It’s my problem.”</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Jaewon smiles, hiding the hurt that this Minsoo doesn’t even know him- and yet Jaewon is willing to run with him.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“It doesn’t have to be,” Jaewon laughs, taking rabbit-Minsoo’s hand off the ornate pocket watch with a filigree design studded with rubies. He smiles and comes with him, and the rabbit-Minsoo smiles at him.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Let’s go then! Don’t forget, I owe you one!”</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Forget that,” Jaewon laughs.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I’ll return the favor someday,” rabbit-Minsoo promises as they run across a field. “I want to.”</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“This is nothing at all,” Jaewon insists. But rabbit-Minsoo shakes his head, grey ears flopping with the movement.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You’re going out of your way to make yourself uncomfortable. For me. That’s something.”</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Jaewon doesn’t reply.</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <strong>
    <span class="s2">Wonder, why do we race?</span>
  </strong>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <strong>
    <span class="s2">(When everyday we're runnin' in circles)</span>
  </strong>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">There are people running in circles up ahead, dripping wet. The one running the hardest is another rabbit, pushed on by a dodo with dark hair.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Minseok,” rabbit-Minsoo scowls. “Pushes those who get close enough into a dumb never ending race with no prize.” </span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Shouldn’t we stop it?”</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“We can’t,” rabbit-Minsoo sighs. “Not if they’re willingly running themselves ragged. See that girl? Used to be plump and sweet like a dumpling, she’s burned so much off of herself and runs in circles for an image the dodo set before her. She wants that, now.”</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“He’s tricking them.”</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“That’s how the world works,” rabbit-Minsoo says solemnly. “People lie and tric- I FORGOT I’M LATE!”</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Let’s go!” Jaewon exclaims, grabbing Minsoo’s hand and running down the hill, past the people running in circles.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Ignoring how uncomfortably familiar the sight is to his own reflection in the mirrors they pass.</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <strong>
    <span class="s2">Such a funny way to fall</span>
  </strong>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Minsoo hands Jaewon cookies that make him shrink and grow.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Let’s break for a meal,” he sighs.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Break? Don’t you have places to be?” A dry voice cuts in. Jaewon blinks up at Dongho. Clad in a white tunic and black paints, his purple ears and tail twitch irately. </span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Cheshire cat?” Jaewon mumbles in shock.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Your reputation precedes you, Dongho,” rabbit-Minsoo cackles. Cheshire-cat-Dongho cuffs him on the head.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Shut up. People lie about stuff like that.”</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Like what? You being a conniving little shit?” rabbit-Minsoo grins wickedly. Cheshire-cat-Dongho is unmoved.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I’m your hyung. Why, want me to talk about the rumors of you never being as fast as your brother?”</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Shut up,” rabbit-Minsoo hisses. And for a minute, Jaewon can almost see the mirrors of their practice room with the way they’re acting around each other. It’s so familiar it hurts. </span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">It’s not the ears and sky that are too different in this world to change things, it’s that Jaewon isn’t Wyld. It’s that Jaewon is sitting closer to them and they’re not wary of him.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">It hurts, knowing this is exactly what he’s given up. And this imitation is marked by animal ears and wrong colors just to show how impossible it’s become. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <strong>
    <span class="s2">Tried to open up my eyes,</span>
  </strong>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <strong>
    <span class="s2">I'm hopin' for a chance to make it alright</span>
  </strong>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Rabbit-Minsoo leads him through a forest, where they’re cut off by five bombing birds. They’re blue, and without eyes. And they’re shaped like the Twitter icon.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He fights a flinch. </span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You! You! You!” The birds shriek. “Whore! Bad dancer! Yes yes a waste of space!”</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What?”</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Cancelled, cancelled, cancelled!” </span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">They’re just... unknowing birds. They don’t know anything.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">But it still hurts. Rabbit-Minsoo scowls.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You shouldn’t have to put up with this. SCRAM!” Rabbit-Minsoo takes a swipe at the birds sending them scattering and their cries even louder. Jaewon wishes it could be that easy.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“It’s fine. It’s just a little thing while we get to where we’re going,” he smiles at him. Rabbit-Minsoo doesn’t return the smile.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“A journey doesn’t have to mean suffering,” he says, “you’re doing this for me anyway.”</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“It’s worth it.” Jaewon shakes his head. Rabbit-Minsoo looks sad for the smallest fraction of a second.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Is it really?”</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <strong>
    <span class="s2">When I wake up, the dream isn't done</span>
  </strong>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <strong>
    <span class="s2">I wanna see your face and know I've made it home. </span>
  </strong>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He looks up to see Manager Choi.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Old bat,” rabbit-Minsoo groans. Choi moves, revealing the long beaded body of a caterpillar. A hookah expelling a bright red smoke wafts a haze around the clearing. His eyes are locked on them.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“And what if I said I had your answers?”</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What answers could you possibly give me?”</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Answers,” Choi states simply. Rabbit-Minsoo rolls his eyes.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Let’s go. False promises are sweetened traps. Dangled carrots only have the promise of sticks.”</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">That’s too deep for a shooing off. Jaewon swallows hard. He knows what Minsoo is saying about him. Even if the Minsoo with rabbit ears in front of him does not.</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <strong>
    <span class="s2">If nothing is true, what more can I do?</span>
  </strong>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <strong>
    <span class="s2">I am still painting flowers for you (woah oh)</span>
  </strong>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Jun! Jun! We have guests!” Nari noona’s familiar voice makes him smile. </span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Once again another friend has come to pop up in this world. What is the Jaewon of this world where Wyld doesn’t haunt his every step? </span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">There’s an assortment of coffee pots spread across the table and Jaewon fights a giggle. Nari noona is a Mad Hatter and Jun is a very grumpy March Hare. It seems, there’s a new friendship in this world of the two parts of Jaewon’s own life kept separate. Nari noona and Minsoo. </span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“So Jaewon comes up to me and asks to come with!” Minsoo and Nari noona are laughing and Jaewon really should introduce them in real life-</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Why would ya do that?” Nari noona grins at him. “He works for the king! You can get your head lopped off and rollin’!”</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Sounds like an upgrade,” Jun grouses. He seems content to drawing with coffee grounds as hatter-Nari noona smiles and beams and chatters away with rabbit-Minsoo and its so natural.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">But not for him. Not in this weird in-between of finally being allowed in and not truly having a place there.</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <strong>
    <span class="s2">Shown my cards, give you my heart</span>
  </strong>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <strong>
    <span class="s2">(wish we could start all over)</span>
  </strong>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Minsoo bids him a farewell as soon as they hit a rose garden, and already he can hear a semi-frantic whistling. Daehyun is perched in a rose bush with a paintbrush and he’s coated in glistening red paint. </span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Yes, Jaewon knows this part. The roses are white so he’s painting them red. Jaewon bites his lip. He should help him, somehow.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Hiya! Daehyun, right? I was told you needed help,” Jaewon isn’t wearing the weird card uniform that Daehyun is but Daehyun pays that no mind. </span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oh thank goodness!” Daehyun beams at him and hands him a brush. “Let’s get these done. How did ya know my name? Oh! Right- someone said I needed help!”</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Jaewon hums out a little tune and picks up a brush when the sound of a rose being plucked makes them freeze.</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <strong>
    <span class="s2">Nothing's making sense at all</span>
  </strong>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <strong>
    <span class="s2">Try to open up my eyes I'm hoping for a chance to make it all right</span>
  </strong>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“At least you have the understanding to at least try to fix this,” a silky- greasy- voice hisses. It’s CEO Park, a golden crown glinting on his head and a red heart nestled in the center, and an incriminating, bone white rose clutched his hands. A heart still seems too kind for the look in his eyes.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I’m sorry, it’s my fault,” Daehyun slides in front of him. And Jaewon is powerless. Powerless to do anything against the king that Park always thought he was- because that would only make things worse.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">This is his dongsaeng, becoming a punching bag for his sake. It hurts.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Jaewon is self-aware enough to feel a spike of guilt. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <strong>
    <span class="s2">When I wake up the dream isn't done</span>
  </strong>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <strong>
    <span class="s2">I wanna see your face and know I've made it home</span>
  </strong>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> He acts like a citizen. He falls in line, kneels to the ground in a bow. Like a worm. </span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">It’s familiar to him and it nauseating. He’s once again a vassal. A subordinate and tool.</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p>
  <strong>
    <span class="s2">If nothing is true, what more can I do?</span>
  </strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span class="s3">“Beg,” Park’s voice hisses in his ear from a million miles away.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <strong>
    <span class="s2">I am still painting flowers for you </span>
  </strong>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <strong>
    <span class="s2">I am still painting flowers for you</span>
  </strong>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">In this world, it’s Daehyun who begs. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <strong>
    <span class="s2">I heard everything you said,</span>
  </strong>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <strong>
    <span class="s2">I don't wanna lose my head</span>
  </strong>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">How many times must this world tell him what he’s lost? How many times must this world tell him that he’s done something that hurts the others? </span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He knows all of it. But not only is he stuck in this situation,but he’d do it again. Because their smiles at their successes meant more to him than his tears. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <strong>
    <span class="s2">When I wake up, the dream isn't done</span>
  </strong>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <strong>
    <span class="s2">I wanna see your face and know I've made it home</span>
  </strong>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <strong>
    <span class="s2">If nothing is true what more can I do?</span>
  </strong>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Wyld! Wyld! A dead weight!” The shrill and unforgotten shrieks of the Twitter bird shatters the moment.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">All at once, he becomes Wyld.</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <strong>
    <span class="s2">I am still painting flowers for you</span>
  </strong>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">A collar chains itself around his neck- and where did it even come from-</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The colors of the world fade to grey and a thick sheet of ice separates Jaewon from the others and oh-</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Oh-</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">he can’t breathe. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <strong>
    <span class="s2">I am still painting flowers for you</span>
  </strong>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">And in the end, he opens his eyes to his white painted ceiling. Alone.</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <strong>
    <span class="s2">I am still painting flowers for you</span>
  </strong>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
  </div></div>
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